But it’s the 2013 Seattle Seahawks who turned in the best defensive performance in the now 48-year history of the National Football League's big game. Their 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII was even more impressive than what the Bears (46-10), Ravens (34-7) and Buccaneers (48-21) did to their opponents.

The Bears faced the overmatched New England Patriots. The Ravens saw the overwhelmed New York Giants. The Buccaneers had the toughest offensive challenge, but rolled past Rich Gannon and the Oakland Raiders.

That doesn’t compare to facing Peyton Manning, one of the best quarterbacks ever, coming off his best season, leading a record-setting offense.

The Broncos produced the most regular-season points in NFL history (606) and Manning, the league MVP, broke the marks for passing touchdowns (55) and yardage (5,477).

That didn’t matter one bit to the Seahawks, who were No. 1 in scoring defense, No. 1 in total defense and No. 1 in passing defense, and played every bit like it. They made it 5-1 for top defenses that faced top offenses in the Super Bowl, the first team to do so in 23 years.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll didn’t want to talk about his team being that dominant, and still went with the 1985 Bears as his Super Bowl defense of choice.

But his players, quite a bit younger than 62 years old and too young to remember the Monsters of the Midway’s heyday, had no problems stacking themselves up as the best. Just like the Bears, Ravens and Bucs before them, the Seahawks have the necessary swagger of a championship defense.

“It’s disappointing to me we still gave up points,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said of the Seahawks' not getting a shutout. “I definitely think we’re up there. We went against a legend. Now we’ve got to keep doing it.”

Cornerback Richard Sherman said the Seahawks aren’t loaded with early-round picks or All-Pros, or attention-getters beyond their secondary. What still makes them capable of such dominance is how they come through with depth on every level.

“We’re a bunch a misfits in some ways,” Sherman said. “I think the world learned how complete of a team we are, and how complete our defense is. It’s not just the Legion of Boom back there, with four guys who play good football. It’s a great linebacker corps, and a great D-line. They deserve the respect.”

It only took 12 seconds for the Seahawks to grab the lead with a safety. Their defense made it seem like 2-0 was insurmountable.

From the moment the Broncos’ first snap of the game flew over Manning's head, their record-setting passing and scoring offense was out of sync. Then the Seahawks' pass rushers, linebackers and all-star secondary took over to keep it that way.

Seattle came in loaded with a nasty physical identity, backed up by its trademark youthful confidence. But what was also on display was superb speed, as the Seahawks flew to Manning and around the field to thwart his talented targets.

The Seahawks built a 36-0 lead before Manning and the Broncos got their first points, a touchdown followed up by a two-point conversion, at the end of the third quarter.

The Broncos were doomed at halftime, after the second of Manning’s two interceptions was returned for a field-flipping 69-yard touchdown by linebacker Malcolm Smith, the game’s worthy MVP. Manning was sacked once, but the Seahawks’ consistent pressure forced several “ducks”, with safety Kam Chancellor picking off one.

With terrific coverage to back up the pass rush, they kept Manning from seeing deep shots open up for his receivers. The Seahawks’ fast and strong tackling as a team also obliterated another Broncos’ strength, big plays after the catch. Denver’s running game was a non-factor even before the game got out of hand.

Pressuring, covering, tackling, smacking, it was all there. Try to find any weakness. You can’t. That’s the strength of strengths, stronger than the strongest.

The Seahawks are built for the modern era, with their pass rushers and defensive backs to combat the passing-game boom. They also have a throwback feel with their proud hard hitting and prouder trash talk.

The Giants set the new-school blueprint when they were able to slow the previous highest-scoring juggernaut, the 2007 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. The Seahawks took it to a whole new level against the Broncos, never in danger of losing the game. It was an old-school wire-to-wire effort that never relented. The best of both schools, and yes, the best ever for one night on the NFL’s biggest stage.

Defenses still do win championships and Super Bowls. Defenses built like the Seahawks’ just do it a little easier, even when facing a quarterback as good as Manning.